First up I've been to Paris an embarassing amount of times so I tended to skip most of the big tourist attractions, which turned out to be a blessing... NEVER, where possible, go to Paris in June/July for the following reasons:
1. No one is a local.
2. There are lines for everything, long lines, beyond Sydney restaurant lines that take hours upon hours.
But if you do, I suppose you could just get up early and get in before everyone else.. novel idea really.
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You may recall we arrived in Paris at some ungodly hour after boarding the bus from hell... So we decided to take things at a more leisurely pace than London, spending lots of time waking through gardens. To add to our cultural experience we even attempted to mingle with the locals by treckong out to the hip part of Paris to catch a DJ set. Alas, poor Oli, we got lost and missed the show but any night where I fall heavily on my shoulder after a 4am crepe must be a good one.
In Paris we continued to troll down mum's wish list, searching for restaurants, bars, and secrets all through town! I was particularly excited about an article recommending we go off the beaten track to visit some apparently untouched archades in the middle of Paris. We now know to be wary reading the Sydney Morning Herald Travel section... apparently off the beaten track means next to Hard Rock Cafe and Holiday Inn.
Obviously the arcades weren't as untouched as initially imagined and many of the shops have been replicated in Surry Hills etc. but they were super pretty to look at!
At the end of one of the arcades was a restaurant that according to the same article french food blogs rave about it, and I can see why! Le Diable Verre had the most spectacular pre fixed lunch menu - the best meal I had in all of Paris! And as an added bonus we met the chef who spoke a little english from living in Sydney for a year.. he interned at this little restaurant, you may have heard of it... TETSUYAS!? I die.
It's become clear this trip that local knowledge is invaluable whilst travelling, and makes for some interesting adventures, but I've narrowed down five things I would reccomend in Paris.
1. Visit Notre Dame
2. See Mona Lisa - Louvre is huge so I'd pick a few must sees before heading there otherwise you're looking at a potential 3 day Commitment.
3. Muse D'Orsay - level 5... Like being slapped in the face with genius at every turn.
4. Be consumed by the wonder of the Eiffel tower, by day or night.
5. Find a perch, top of Eiffel tower, visit to sacre cur, or wonder up to the top of Galleries La'Fayette to have a good squiz at the city! Some of the greatest views of Paris around.
Obviously, I'm no local AND there is so much to chose from but if you can squeeze in a few sights in between shopping/eating you can start your own love affair with Paris! (cringe)
Ps sorry if the format is whacked..
xx
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| 30 Euro for bread and tea... nice one Paris |
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